10 May Talk to a Lizard

When was the last time you unplugged from your phone, computer, ipad, TV, and just sat outside in the grass in the shade of a tree? My guess would be that it has been a while … maybe a looooong while.

During the kids’ spring break, we had a stay-cation complete with weeding, planting, and mulching. For 4 days, I was essentially unplugged from morning to late afternoon. Wow! It’s amazing how I had forgotten what it was like just to “be”. At one point when I took a break from weeding, I sat in the grass in the shade of a tree watching a lizard as it approached me. I even talked to it. (Yes, I did just say I talk to lizards.)

As I sat and talked to my new little friend, I looked around at the trees, plants, back of my house, listened to the birds with very little constructive thought. There were no to-do lists running in my head, no shoulda-woulda-coulda’s, no sense of urgency … there was just a sense of peace and calm. Instead of this making me feel sleepy, I felt recharged with a sense of renewed energy.

How did we become such a fast-paced, go-go-go society? When did we stop allowing ourselves to pause, rest, and be for a moment? Why do we always feel like we “have” to be doing something?

Did you know mental health issues such as anxiety and depression are on the rise? Are we surprised? We shouldn’t be as we are expecting our brains to be on high alert all day without regular periods of pause and relax. Our bodies were just not made that way and they will cease to function optimally at some point, hence the rise of anxiety and depression.

My challenge to you today is to pause for a moment. Silence your phone. Step away from the computer. Walk outside. Notice your surroundings. Breathe. Maybe even talk a lizard. 🙂